Denis Gilbert Scientifik
Who am I?
My name is Denis Gilbert. I completed a B.Sc. in Physics in 1985 and a Ph.D. in oceanography in 1990. I worked thirty years for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, from 1991 to 2021. In 2022, I created a company called Denis Gilbert Scientifik to offer services in the broad categories outlined below.
Popular science writing
Science communication has been a major priority for me throughout my career at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. As a government-paid scientist, I always felt it was my duty to communicate to the public on the outcomes of my scientific research. Science communication is something I genuinely enjoy, and I look forward to doing more of it as a freelancer.
Data analysis and graphics
I like analyzing large datasets and producing insightful graphics that convey powerful messages. I am especially fond of maps!
Climate services
My lifelong involvement in climate research has taught me that municipalities, provinces, territories, states, and countries need tailor-made climate products that can help them take better informed decisions that will help them adapt to a changing climate.
Logo explanation
Denis Gilbert Scientifik's logo shows a map of planet Earth as seen from the Sun on the June 21 solstice when it is solar noon at 50°W longitude. The black lines represent the 48° 27'N parallel and the 68° 32'W longitude that cross in my hometown of Rimouski, Québec, Canada.
Science, Technology, Society
Science
The Earth's climate system, oceanography and astrophysics are the subdomains of science that I normally focus on. This ocean map shows oxygen saturation percentage at 150 m depth, from Gilbert et al. (2010).
Technology
Massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions require a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies and a concomitant electrification of the economy. In the transportation sector, I closely follow the evolution of electric vehicles. I am pictured at the Baie-des-Sables windmill farm.
Society
Politics, religion, and personal beliefs shape the societies we live in. In my blog I occasionally reflect on these themes, reviving an old interest of mine dating back to my 1981-1982 academic year at Concordia University, where I studied comparative religion and anthropology. The January 6, 2021, Insurrection was closely tied to Religion. Photo credit: Uncivil Religion.
About me
Education
- B.Sc. Physics, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (Saguenay, Québec, Canada), 1985
- Ph.D. Physical oceanography, Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada), 1990.
Employment
- 2022-present; I created my own enterprise, Denis Gilbert Scientifik, to write popular science and technological articles and to offer climate services.
- 1991-2021; Oceanographer and climate scientist for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. My scientific activities and publications focused on climate variability and change in the ocean. A list of my scientific publications can be found on Google Scholar.